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Tag Archives: Ancil Roget

The PM, aka the National Mother, Grandmother and Special Needs Woman, collecting her Glamour Woman of the Year Award in 2010. Photo courtesy Glamour's website.

Whole of last night my brain buzzing with this quarry in Blanchisseuse thing….then I wake up this morning to read that the PM play the gender card again and my morning derailed.

Anybody who know me well, knows that the feminist Get Out of Jail Free Card of “I am a frail female” does piss me off.

To sit and read that the PM, the Leader of a government and country issue a statement that uses gender to justify her misuse of public funds is enough to make one vomit! Beyond the constraints of ailing that can affect either gender, what can a female PM at Persad-Bissessar’s age be coping with that is gender specific? Come, come, Madam PM!

I am a woman, I have different needs, and so it should be expected that I will abuse the public purse to have my sister travel with me internationally at the STATE’s expense? The Iron Lady must be corroding with this one.
Kamla Rani, don’t get us wrong….nobody begrudging you your sister as a travel companion….nobody even begrudging you the luxury of aging and ailing…but why do WE THE TAXPAYERS have to shoulder the burden that is Vidwatie Newton’s travel expenses? That is the crux of the matter. And for you to take what is fundamentally an issue of misuse of public funds and turn it into a plea for sympathy because of your gender makes you nasty and reprehensible! I said it!

Is not enough that you get caught lying when you said you paid her out of your own pocket.

Is not enough that you get caught lying when you said the Govt of India covered the expenses of your state visit to India.

Is it not enough that you sought to tarnish the reputation of a former Prime Minister and President to justify your pilfering of public funds?

The public had to find out that on at least 4 occasions the Cabinet approved travel funding to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars for your sister!

Now you come with a story that is designed to make us feel that as a woman, your needs are so different from that of any other person it GIVES YOU THE RIGHT to ABUSE PUBLIC FUNDS?

Is your husband not a doctor? Considering that many of the issues you listed in this statement refer to health and lifestyle issues, and considering that the state makes allowances for a spouse travelling with you, wouldn’t it make sense for the person closest to you, with intimate knowledge of your health issues and with medical qualifications, be the one to accompany you on your travels?

I hear a pundit is also part of your travel entourage….you preparing for the afterlife on every trip too?

The next major thing is this quarry….any environmental reporter worth salt and pepper and chadon beni could make chow and a reputation with what going on in Blanchisseuse right now. the first thing you have to know is that this Blanchisseuse Quarry issue started to get sticky under the PNM and has only worsened under the People’s Panchayat because neither parties have an environmental policy worth anything.

Somewhere around 2004/2005 the PNM reversed legislation that made it mandatory for anyone operating a quarry to require permission from the EMA. In the new legislation anyone operating a quarry under 150 acres can do so without permission from the EMA. The PNM issued this legislation to allow for the mining of aggregate to assist in the construction industry boom that was going on then.

So, in short, our environment was sacrificed for the sake of the construction boom. This new law led to many small quarries springing up overnight in the forests of the Northern Range. These quarries have affected the habitat for wild animals, our vegetation and our waterways. The quarrying also has implications for flooding on a national level.

Add to this mix the contract signed between the former PNM Government and the Sunway Construction company…..wait, you gasp…Sunway….Calder Hart?????

Yes folks, the construction company that is allegedly owned by Calder Hart is currently doing business under the People’s Panchayat Government.

This is a government that came into power on all things Calder Hart….indeed Anand Ramlogan (remember him? the AG?) had staked his reputation as our AG on getting both Calder Hart and Parick Manning locked up for corruption. It stands to reason then that upon coming into office all contracts Trinidad and Tobago had with Calder Hart or any of his companies would have been suspended pending investigations. Especially when you realise that the Govt of Trinidad and Tobago actually losing $$$ on the deal with Sunway Construction.

So, the Pantomime wants to know:

Why have these contracts the Govt has with Calder Hart/Sunway not been suspended or cancelled? after all the OPV contracts were reviewed cancelled quick quick on the grounds that it wasn’t in the country’s best interest.

Who is benefitting from this arrangement with Sunway Ltd?

Are members of the People’s Panchayat Govt in bed with Sunway and doing business with them????

Is it that we know where Calder Hart is and haven’t brought him in for questioning An&?

Why has this govt not overturned those controversial environmental laws? (Prakash, look a worthy campaign to take up)

Is it that these questionable laws working in their favour?

Wasn’t amendments to current environmental policies and practices part of your manifesto and 120 plan? (Prakash, all yuh forget?)

Why now Kevin? Why after 21 months of quarrying? Why only when Sunway’s name get mentioned? Is there something that this government trying to hide from the country? Might that be the reason the AG can’t find or arrest Calder Hart yet?

I have a question for The Keith too….what are you doing to ensure that the PNM policies under Manning are going to be different under you? Because this environmental mess didn’t happen in a vaccum on its own.

On Monday night into Tuesday morning four people were murdered. Maybe if this country was a female Prime Minister of a certain age then our special needs would be attended to and we’d get a CRIME PLAN!!!! Instead of watching Gibbs and Ewatski not perform at their jobs while setting up to sue this government for what may be millions of dollars.

CLICOGATE has yet another twist in the scandal as it appears that $156m of NIB funds was sunk into Clico Investment Bank. Maybe the finance heads can explain to me why National Insurance $$$$$ had to be invested in Clico at a time when it was clear the company was in trouble….was this another form of bailout???????

In UNC Internal Elections news, know is water more than flour when Panday and Jack Warner saying the same thing…both men are convinced that the elections being tampered with internally. And at least one of them taking legal action.

And while Jack encouraging other members of the People’s Panchayat to speak out, Assworth…sorry, Ashworth Jack telling them to hush.

TV6 doing some interesting work on the Diesel Bunkering trade in Trinidad and Tobago that for some strange reason does not seem to involve underground storage in Sea Lots or Beetham or residents of Beetham who resemble John Sandy….did anybody tell Minister Roodal Moonilal this? Is it possible that Minister Moonilal lied to the nation of Trinidad and Tobago in parliament in September 2011?

Ancil Roget has gone on record to say that poor management at TCL is what has led to industrial relations breakdown and the strike.

And Senate Vice-President Lyndira Oudit demonstrated her colossal ignorance of Parliamentary Law that led to the Opposition Walking out of the Upper House….Oudit is yet to admit that her ruling was inaccurate…..

But that is par for the course with this Govt…Wrong and Strong and Unapologetic!

Just when we thought our various statesmen and women had decided to tone down their behaviour in the public eye Fete to de I-Max gives us another reason to chatter.

Clearly the Gladys Gafoor Affair don’t have him hot and bothered enough.Everybody and their Police service Commission bashing Commissioner Glibbs. But nobody want to actually fire him, because it cheaper to keep his incompetence around than to actual hire somebody else to do the job that he not doing…I hope that make sense to you, because it really fly over my head….kind of like an over priced crop duster!

On the Clicogate front it appears that the kidnapping and murder of Vindra Naipaul-Coolman put a halt to audit meetings at Clico. Now this cause my eyes to widen at how systems and procedures just seem to stall and stop short at Clico…..and now I beginning to wonder about the motivation behind Naipaul-Coolman’s kidnapping and murder!

While one end of the country embroiled in Clicogate, more trouble brewing in the energy and industry sector. The OWTU warns of strikes at TCL. But what have people more concerned is the TV6 report last night that Petrotrin as good as sold and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago refuses to discuss this issue with the OWTU or reveal their plans to the country. All that is known are that talks are in train and that a private consortium of businesses looking to buy it up. And Roget says the farm out will hurt the nation and has warned against it.

Does private consortium mean Friends and Family of the Govt and their cronies?
What will this mean for our energy subsidies and energy revenue?
Whose pocket is it going to fall into?
Why is the People’s Panchayat Govt so secretive about this deal?
Is the COP endorsing this nonsense and still pretending to be a patriotic party?
Is the Opposition PNM aware of this and turning a blind eye?
Help out the Pantomime here, folks!

And in other news that we not supposed to talk about because it might be slander…Minister of Agriculture Vasant Bharath has not admitted to driving over or mashing anyone’s corn….but he has admitted to making police reports, has said sorry (why, if you aint do nothing) and has agreed to settle out of court. Settle what, you might ask? Why, settle nothing…because he did nothing is not going to comment on anything because there is nothing to say anything about!
This government is real tears…not in a good way….the patrimony being squandered, the country and its citizenry being abused….De Vice Cyah Done!

There were many stories this week that battled for primacy of place in the Pantomime; but for many reasons the Prime Minister’s appearance at Machel Monday on February 13th earned top position. The incident took place at the start of the week and threw most of the nation into a total tailspin, not because her presence at fetes are unexpected; indeed, like any Trini worth her salt, the PM seems to have racked up more feting time than office hours since her return from the India Extravaganza. It seems too that on her way back from India she made a stop in London to buy a pair of pricey Louis Vuittons that she showed off to the crowd at Machel Monday. The PM’s detractors were loudly critical of her appearance on the stage as well as her dress code. Those in favour of the PM and desperate for this govenment to remain relevant and in power immediately dismissed the furor over Kamla’s inappropriate dress code as a “non-story”, what’s the fuss about? Do we question Rowley’s underwear? The level of moral relatavism that was employed to shift from the real issue at hand was a clear sign that the supporters of this government have grown desperate. To not see those boots as vulgar and inappropriate and a symbol of what this government, certainly its Prime Minister, has come to represent to significant portions of the population, is to put one’s head in the sand. Kamla mounted a stage in an ad hoc manner representing not her private self, but the country as PM, and sought to honour a soca artiste with an award that is yet to be named, and whose reason is yet to be explained, dressed in exactly the sort of ostentatious bling that we decry in the nation’s youth when we talk of their value systems. What made our PM this last Monday a role model to the nation in any real sense? What made her a leader or stateswoman in that stunt on stage? Come Carnival Monday and Tuesday she intends to jump with Trini Revellers in a section whose theme is based on Africa….more pappy show for the masses. Take that in all yuh gaaaar!

The other reason this story received top billing was what the image above also symbolised for the fete goers and soca lovers. This appeared to be Kamla Rani’s public endorsement of Double M for major prizes at Soca Monarch and within seconds of entering the stage the talk went around the Hasely Crawford Stadium that Montano had to indeed still be in the government’s pocket. The Machel Hate and the Iwer Support became renewed and MMHD would spend the rest of this week battling not just his own demons about winning the competition but the spirit of the Vengeance of Moko that so many of the Carnival population would feel was his just due to publicly aligning himself with the government. Many asked, “who is the pimp in that relationship: Machel or Kamla?”

Of course one of the delicious little ironies that the Pantomime has noticed is that many people seem to want to ignore that Iwer George, who now has popular support as the wronged and robbed soca artiste who is entitled to the crowns, was and is openly PNM and benefitted greatly from PNM largesse. While then PM Manning never came on stage to wine and bling out and publicly endorse George, everyone within the industry knew that Iwer was heavily endorsed and supported by the PNM…indeed there is much to sustain rumours that George has been involved in diesel bunkering since the PNM’s tenure. So the ire of George’s fans may well be a case of political do so aint like so!

The OWTU brought the government to its knees this week, and who don’t want to see that or concede to it hadda be smoking what destroyed Whitney Houston. Ancil Roget and his cohorts using a combination of gas and mas, turned the government on its head as he exploited the People’s Panchayat’s greatest fear: the shut down of the country on their watch! A national strike is akin to the 1990 coup for this government because it is a stigma and ghost they will NEVER be able to escape. Roget set the pack nicely. Waiting the week of Carnival they announced the strike, knowing full well that if the strike began Carnival Saturday and ran for 90 days there’d be no Carnival to distract the natives from the pressures of gas shortages, long lines to fill up and even more frustration in a place that is already a pressure cooker given the ineptitude of the govt.The government tried to grand charge with small pieces of trump like threatening to import gas and deploying the army. Game went to the union though, who got 9%. Now I wonder how the PSA 5% cap supporters feeling today?

The cornered Jack Warner

Fifagate has gotten to be too much for the Pantomime to fathom at this stage. Who aint suing little Jack Warner is who aint remember he owe them $$$ or who aint land in the country yet for the Carnival that is Jack! On February 12th wired8686.com’s Lasana Liburd dropped a bombshell that revealed Warner was involved in an Haitian aid scandal scheme. Warner just can’t seem to cut a break or start smelling clean. In typical Warneriffic style he threatened to sue Liburd for defamation and continued to avoid answering any real questions. The UNC party has also taken to pretending that there is no stench coming from Jack despite a clamouring public and numerous opinion polls. When Liburd contacted members of the UNC executive, either his calls got cut off or they indicated that there was no need to investigate the many problems plaguing Warner. Weird much?

The National Fall Guy Glibbs got his performance review this week and the PSC under Ramesh Deosaran gave the Hot Shot Top Cop a pass! Then backpedalled, a dance so common under our current regime, and said it provisional. One member of the team even declined to sign off on the review. So now, we don’t know whether Glibbs has passed or not, what we do know is that Glibb’s continues to have a free hand under this government to make mistake after mistake and cock up after cock up in the name of National Security!

Justice Gladys Gafoor, throwing dust in dey face these days.

The Gladys Gafoor Affair has gotten even more complicated. No one knows if I-am-a-Gladys was informed by the President of her suspension, who gave the order in the Minisrty of Foreign Affairs and Communications to tamper with the President’s press release or if the President is still an independent office, because he clearly seems to be taking orders from someone…but why? What gives Max?

And in between all of this, it’s still murders, robberies and general crime on a regular. Calypsonians want more monies, Louis wants a bottle ban, road accidents aplenty and prophets throwing wine all on Kamala!

Both Queen Kamla and the Energy Imp, Kevin, have gone on record saying gas reserves are there, while reports show that reserves are lower than they should be. The Imp has even declared that he will IMPORT fuel if he needs to…..with what $$$$$ Kevin?

As if long lines at the gas station and short supplies of fuel aren’t enough, the Police Service is coming under regular fire for poor performance, poor execution of its duties, and poor training that reveals a deep, dark festering core of corrupt practies. Two foreign media bodies have called on local police to apologise for the raids….let’s see how long Glibbs, An& and the Queen intend to drag this out for.

The AG who seems to be slow to take action or responsibility these days.....any word on Calder Hart?

Discontent is brewing in the far lands to the north east….THA’s London has written to the AG on non-action on two Bills.
An&, boy things beginning to look real sticky. First you have absolutely no clue about what going on in the Anti-Corruption Bureau, a division that falls under your remit. Or are you making that up? Remember complaining about the unit a few years ago? Saying that it was the AG’s secret police? Now you claiming ignorance on the raid on Newsday and passing the buck. You tell Kamla Rani you don’t want that division no more and like a spoilt child throw it back to Glibbs the Fall Guy?????? Responsible behaviour from this People’s Panchayat too bad! http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Helping_Anand_look_back-139265298.html

New twists and turns in the Non-Integrity Commission Gafoor/Gordon Affair….university lecturer alleges that Gordon is also in breach of laws and could well be dismissed too. http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,155347.html

PantyGate becoming a full fledged 5-act play complete with its own play-within-a-play! Now Sita Gajardharsingh-Nanga, who wanted a transfer from under Sat so badly is now challenging her transfer orders…..So you prefer the conditions under the Panty Rajah? Battered wife syndrome much? http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,155349.html

And while Trinidad and Tobago burns the Queen going to fete after fete after fete!

De Vice Cyah Done!!!!

Miss Must Fete in her favourite place....on a stage, close to a mic....careful HD, she might take over your career!

A clusterf@$k describes a perfect storm being created by the coming together or even collision of the right elements.

A pantomime is a theatrical production put on by actors.

This country seems to be heading towards a clusterfuck while depending on a troupe of actors to run the country in the midst of what is clearly a growing crisis.